March 25--PHOENIX -- The NFL wrapped up its owners' meetings Wednesday morning, flipping the league's calendar to the annual build-up for its draft. This year, that means Chicago is about to command the spotlight.
Five weeks from Thursday night, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will go on the clock with the first pick. Details continue to emerge about the event, which is returning to Chicago for the first time since 1963. Auditorium Theatre at Roosevelt University is the epicenter of an extravaganza that will include outdoor festivities at Grant Park and other spots.
Not surprisingly, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was bubbly at his news conference Wednesday when asked what appeals to him about having the draft in Chicago and outside New York for the first time in 52 years.
"Returning the draft into the great Midwest is a great opportunity," Goodell said. "The response from everyone in Chicago gives us a great deal of excitement over this event that continues to get bigger. The excitement (is) building a month away from the event, and it's getting bigger physically also.
"There is more demand, so we're trying to make sure we can meet that demand. I think it's going to be a great experience. We have, obviously, people who attend the draft every year. We're making a priority for them to make sure that they're still accommodated, even though we've changed it. But we have a new opportunity this year with an outdoor opportunity that more fans are going to be able to engage with the draft process. That's exciting for our fans. It's great for us, and it's great for our partners.
"We're excited about what's going to happen there. The numbers keep changing about what the expectations are, how many people are going to be there. But I think the people of Chicago are going to over-deliver. We're excited."
The NFL announced Monday it will hold a drawing for 5,600 free tickets for inside the theater and 3,000 for certain outdoor events.
